Charleston Housing Development Beats Conservation Injunction (1)

A Charleston, S.C., housing developer may clear part of a national forest after a federal judge ruled the US Army Corps of Engineers had completed an exhaustive review of environmental impacts and required sufficient programs to protect endangered species.

The US District Court for the District of South Carolina denied the S.C. Coastal Conservation League’s motions to block the clearing of more than 3,900 acres adjacent to the Francis Marion National Forest on Sept. 20. The plaintiffs “do not grapple with the rationality” of the Army Corps of Engineers’ permits, ruling the agency’s assessments mitigate potential harm to the endangered ...